Osan AB to receive state-of-art MAC-21 school

by 1st Lt. Andrew Davenport
51st Civil Engineer Squadron

2/19/2015 - OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea  -- The Osan Community is set to receive a new state-of-the-art elementary school facility that will be the first of its kind in Korea and second in Pacific Air Forces.

The facility is designed to accommodate the new Multi-age Community 21st Century program.

"The MAC-21 teachers wanted the students to see the new facility and visualize how they could connect what they are already doing to future learning in an authentic 21st Century facility," said Mona Morgan, Osan Elementary School principal.

The new 130,000 square foot building will accommodate teachers, staff and students from Pre-K through 5th grade. It will be based on the 21st Century Education initiative that was outlined in the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act which will seek to foster a productive learning environment.

The MAC-21 initiative provides schools with greater flexibility to tailor the learning environment to the needs of each student. The classrooms are purposefully structured to contain a wide span of ages and foster a community-like learning environment. Additional design improvements include increased natural lighting of the facility through skylights and windows and improved acoustics in a classroom to reduce noise pollution.

"The MAC-21 concept grew out of the desire to bring students from 1st to 5th grade together to create a community of learners," Morgan said. "Most importantly, to create a learning environment that allowed students to implement the four 'C's' -- communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking."

The 51st Civil Engineer Squadron, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Far East District, invited students and teachers of Osan Elementary School to the construction site of the facility where they were briefed on the project's progress and given a guided tour of the active construction site.

"It's awesome when we get the chance to showcase all the hard work that goes into the construction process," said Staff Sgt. James Kennedy II, 51st CES construction inspector. "With a project this expansive, it's rare to stop construction for the day, so we are glad the children are enjoying themselves and taking full advantage of the opportunity."

The new Osan Elementary School is due to open its doors in August 2016.